Chapter 41 Asia
I was ready to annul my marriage to Nyree. If he had been hiding a minor secret, I could possibly deal with that, but a four-year-old child? He had me out here looking like a damn fool.
I planned to look into how to do the annulment after my meeting with Giuseppe at Messy Tees. He'd told me to come into the office today, which he did periodically. Maybe it was about contract negotiations. The last day of our current contract was coming up soon.
As I drove to the shop, I tried to focus on work instead of my crumbling personal life.
I needed something to go right today. Giuseppe's business had been my steady client for a while.
He'd helped me build my portfolio and establish myself as a legitimate graphic designer.
I was proud of the work I'd done for Messy Tees, turning it from a small local t-shirt shop into a recognized brand across our city and beyond.
When I arrived, I took a deep breath before heading inside. The familiar bell chimed as I pushed open the door.
"Asia! There she is," Giuseppe called from behind the counter. His Italian accent had faded over the years, but it still came through when he was excited or angry. Today, I couldn't quite read his tone.
"Hey, Giuseppe," I said, forcing a smile. "How's business?"
"Business is good, very good," he said, coming around to give me a quick hug. "Come, let's talk in my office."
I followed him to the back room he called his office, though it was just a desk and two chairs crammed into the corner of the stockroom. I sat down, expecting friendly congratulations about my engagement. Guiseppe followed me from both his personal and business pages.
"So, I hear congratulations are in order," he said, settling into his chair. "You got engaged, yes? Very exciting."
"Thank you.” I pushed away thoughts of Nyree and his secret child. "It was... unexpected."
"Life is full of surprises," Giuseppe nodded sagely. "Speaking of which..."
My stomach tightened. Something in his tone had shifted.
"Asia, I want to thank you for all the work you have done helping to get my business off the ground."
I nodded, waiting for him to continue. Something wasn't right.
"But now that my daughter has graduated from graphic design school, she will be taking over."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I blinked, certain I'd misheard him.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Sophia, my daughter. She finished her degree in graphic design. Top of her class!" Pride beamed from his face. "She's moving back home next week, and she'll be handling all the design work for Messy Tees going forward."
I sat there, stunned into silence. Giuseppe was my major client. My bread and butter. I didn't have any other real income outside of this.
"I... I thought our contract was up for renewal," I managed to say.
"Yes, well, I didn't want to leave you hanging," Giuseppe said, his expression sympathetic but firm. "That's why I wanted to tell you in person, with plenty of notice. Your contract ends next month, and Sophia will take over then."
My mind raced, trying to process what was happening. This couldn't be real. Not today. Not on top of everything else.
"Giuseppe, this feels so sudden," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. "The designs I've created have helped grow your business. Your customers know my style, my work—"
"And they will learn to love Sophia's style too," he interrupted. "She has fresh ideas, new perspectives. And she's family, you understand? I always planned for Messy Tees to be a family business."
I wanted to fight, to argue, to remind him of all the late nights I'd spent perfecting designs, all the rush jobs I'd accommodated, all the times I'd gone above and beyond to help his business succeed. But how was I going to tell this man to choose me instead of his own daughter?
"I understand," I said, the words tasting bitter in my mouth. "Family comes first."
Giuseppe smiled, clearly relieved that I wasn't making this difficult. "You'll be fine, Asia. With your talent, you'll have new clients in no time."
I nodded numbly, thanking him for working with me and promising to complete the work I had left on my contract. Then I stood, shook his hand, and left the store.
As soon as I got back into my car, I gripped the steering wheel as my vision blurred. What the hell just happened? How did I lose my main source of income, just like that?
I sat there, staring blankly through the windshield. Two days ago, I'd been on top of the world—newly married, my business stable and growing. And now my husband had a secret child, I was planning to annul our marriage, and I'd just lost my biggest client.
My phone buzzed with a notification. A voicemail from Nyree. I ignored it, not ready to deal with him yet. Instead, I started my car and began driving, no particular destination in mind.
What was I going to do now? Messy Tees accounted for almost seventy percent of my income. Without that contract, I wouldn't be able to afford my apartment for long.
I pulled over into a parking lot when I realized I was too distracted to drive. Tears threatened to spill over, but I held them back. I wouldn't cry. Not yet. I needed to think, to plan.
Maybe I could find another steady client. Maybe I could reach out to some of the smaller businesses I'd worked with in the past. Maybe I could expand into web design or social media management.
But deep down, I knew none of that would happen overnight. Building client relationships took time—time I didn't have if I wanted to keep paying my bills.
My phone buzzed again, a notification from Nyree.
I ignored it.